"Good idea!"
Kurdran clanged his shield, shouting, "Let's do it! I'll personally lead the Gryphon Riders on a surprise attack!"
Kael'thas nodded, "Alright."
He immediately assigned tasks: "Sylvanas, you lead the main force in a frontal assault. I will lead two-thirds of the Dragonhawk Riders and attack with the Highlord."
Sylvanas raised an eyebrow, "Two-thirds?"
"The Trolls already know we have Dragonhawk Riders. If they don't appear on the front lines, they'll get suspicious," Kael'thas explained.
Vereesa quickly called out, "Your Highness, I'll go with you."
Kael'thas smiled, "Aren't you my personal guard? Of course I'll bring you, otherwise, who will protect me?"
Vereesa immediately beamed.
Sylvanas said, "Even with the Dragonhawk Riders and Gryphon Riders combined, there are only a thousand. Your Highness and the Highlord will take even fewer. Zun'Salo has at least ten thousand people, including many high-ranking Witch Doctors and Headhunters… Your Highness, please bring Lanathel and Liadrin along, it will be safer."
Kael'thas immediately agreed.
He wouldn't joke about his own safety.
Kurdran called over a subordinate, "Falstad, I'm leaving you two hundred Gryphon Riders. You lead the main army and attack the front alongside General Sylvanas."
He made Falstad lean in, lowering his voice: "We're outnumbered, so you need to project an imposing presence. Don't let the High Elf look down on us!"
Falstad also leaned in to Kurdran's ear: "Highlord, now that the High Elf have arrived, I'm afraid they won't leave. I suspect they'll stay under the guise of helping us eliminate the Trolls and compete with us for the Trolls' territory!"
Kurdran leaned in: "I know! Anyway, that's the Trolls' territory. Whoever takes it, keeps it. That's a win-win! And if we don't give them benefits, how can they help us secure the Alliance's Holy Light assistance to purify Grim Batol?"
Falstad leaned in: "I think the reason Kael'thas wants to help us purify Grim Batol is actually to take the opportunity to intervene in the highlands east of Grim Batol. There are several forests there, very suitable for High Elf to live in."
Kurdran leaned in: "I know that too! I'm telling you, that highland definitely has a lot of Horde now. We might not be able to defeat them alone. If the High Elf want to intervene, let them. Anyway, the area is big enough. We Wildhammer Dwarves have so few people, we can't occupy it all, and even if we did, we couldn't defend it."
Falstad leaned in: "But we can't outcompete the High Elf. Their forces are ten times ours. What if they drive us out and monopolize that highland?"
Kurdran leaned in: "But their territory is also large, requiring a lot of troops to guard it. The forces they can spare to compete with us for land are limited! And don't forget, many of our kin migrated to that highland back then. They will help us. We can definitely outcompete the High Elf."
Falstad leaned in: "That's right! And Grim Batol is not far from Ironforge. At that time, we can totally ask our relatives from the south for help. The Bronzebeard clan is much stronger than our Wildhammer clan, no worse than the High Elf!"
Kurdran glared at him: "What nonsense are you talking about? I admit the Bronzebeard are strong, but we Wildhammer are not weak either!"
The two whispered to each other and quickly reached an agreement.
Kael'thas and Sylvanas exchanged smiles, both finding these Wildhammer Dwarves very cute.
They were honest, a little silly, tough, and exceptionally strong in combat, making them excellent friends.
Night fell.
In Zun'Salo, several Orc, Ogre, and Trolls gathered in one place, including an Orc Overseer, an Ogre Lord, and the leader of the Darktroll Tribe, High Priest Hex.
Everyone's faces were solemn as they held a meeting.
"The High Elf and the Wildhammer Dwarves have teamed up!"
The Orc Overseer said with a grim face, "In the daytime battle, we lost over a hundred men, and three Dragon Rider!"
When Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer led the main army away, he left him with a clan of people to stay here and attack Aerie Peak with the Forest Trolls, attracting the attention of nearby Alliance forces to cover the main army.
A few days ago, he received the Warchief's military order delivered by a Dragon Rider, commanding him and the Forest Trolls to leave the Hinterlands and go to Lordamere Lake for support, to fight a decisive battle with the Alliance.
There were two ways to leave the Hinterlands.
One was north, west through Lake Darrowmere, then through Icewind Pass or Alterac Valley.
The other was directly west, through a long mountain road, past Durnholde Keep, Tarren Mill, around the Alterac Mountains, straight to Lordamere Lake.
However, Icewind Pass had already been captured by the Alliance, so they could only take the western route.
But the entrance to that road was in the Wildhammer Dwarves' territory, right at the foot of Aerie Peak.
The reason he had intensified his offensive in recent days, constantly pushing westward, was not to attack Aerie Peak, but to open up a complete road to go to Lordamere Lake for support.
Originally, everything was going smoothly, but he didn't expect the High Elf to arrive, and not ten or a hundred, but thousands!
"Overseer, with our current strength, we are no longer sufficient to continue pushing west."
Hex's hoarse voice sounded: "Now there is only one way that can help us break through the High Elf and Wildhammer Dwarves' defenses, and even wipe them all out, helping the Horde win the final victory."
The Orc Overseer frowned and asked, "What way?"
"Blood sacrifice!"
Hex cackled, "Use a large number of living creatures for blood sacrifice to summon the Blood God Hakkar!"
The Orc Overseer said, "Blood God Hakkar? I've heard that name. He is the loa god worshipped by your Witherbark Tribe. But Zul'Aman summoned four loa gods and still couldn't defeat the High Elf. What good is one Hakkar?"
Hex snorted coldly, his tone filled with disdain: "Zul'jin and Malacrass only summoned a portion of the loa's power, not true loa. It's not the same! And how can those four loa compare to the great Blood God Hakkar? Hakkar is ten times stronger than them!"
The Orc Overseer was suspicious: "Is he really that strong?"
"Of course! Hakkar is the greatest loa, above all other loa!" Hex's face was filled with madness.
The Orc Overseer thought for a moment and made up his mind: "Good! I'll send people to help you hunt beasts to sacrifice to the Blood God Hakkar!"
Hex's face showed a sinister expression: "No, no, beasts are useless! The Blood God Hakkar prefers intelligent beings. The soul of an intelligent being is more useful than a hundred beasts."
The Orc Overseer was surprised: "Intelligent beings? The only intelligent beings in the Hinterlands are Orc, Ogre, Trolls, and High Elf, Dwarves. The High Elf and Dwarves are out of reach, Orc and Ogre are impossible. Do you intend to blood sacrifice your own kin?"
Hex let out a low, eerie sneer: "Kin? Hehe…"
If they weren't from the same tribe, what kind of kin were they?
And what if they were kin?
For the great Hakkar, if pushed, even kin could be blood sacrificed!
The Orc Overseer stared intently at the High Priest before him: "This is your true objective, isn't it? To use our strength to help you eliminate other tribes that are already at odds, and to summon the Blood God Hakkar?"
Hex chuckled, "That benefits you too. The High Elves and Wildhammer Dwarves are also your enemies, aren't they?"
Zul'jin was dead, Zul'Aman was ruined, and the Amani Tribe suffered heavy losses.
However, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse; the Amani were still the most powerful among the Forest Trolls.
But, as long as the Blood God Hakkar could be summoned into this world, the Witherbark Tribe would possess power surpassing the Amani Tribe, allowing them to unite all Forest Trolls and establish a vast Troll empire.
"You are right."
The Orc Overseer asked, "Which tribe do you want to target?"
Hex replied, "Both, but the Darktroll Tribe is quite strong and difficult to deal with, and they're close to the front lines. Wouldn't it be better to let them resist the High Elves and Wildhammer Dwarves, buying us time?"
The Orc Overseer said in a deep voice, "Good! We will dispatch troops now to destroy the Evilfang Tribe!"
At the same time, in Shadra'alor.
A group of Troll priests were prostrating before an ancient altar, devoutly chanting obscure incantations.
Thick green energy slowly gathered on the altar, gradually outlining the silhouette of a massive, heart-stopping giant spider, and a chilling aura permeated the air.
The next morning.
The allied forces of the High Elves and Wildhammer Dwarves began a steady advance from west to east.
Simultaneously, Kael'thas and Kurdran led a massive aerial formation of over a thousand Gryphon Riders and Dragonhawk Riders, flying quietly along the winding mountains of southern Hinterlands, towards their closest target, the Darktroll Tribe's lair, Shadra'alor.
They moved covertly, flying among the mountains the entire way, and staying close to the southern Arathi Highlands, away from the Hinterlands, thereby avoiding the patrols and vigilance of the Darktroll Trolls and Orc Dragon Riders.
Most importantly:
The fifteen-thousand-strong allied army of High Elves and Wildhammer Dwarves, under the command of Sylvanas and Falstad, marched majestically towards the Darktroll Trolls' territory.
In the sky, two hundred Dragonhawk Riders and two hundred Gryphon Riders circled above the dense forest, putting immense pressure on the Darktroll Trolls.
This was a full-scale invasion!
Tens of thousands of Darktroll Trolls, except for those too old to move or too young to walk, all mobilized.
Most of them came to the front-line dense forest, some defending, some casting spells, some poisoning, intending to turn the entire dense forest into a life-forbidden zone filled with poisonous miasma, using this method to block the advance of the allied forces.
Sylvanas's response was very simple:
Fire attack!
After all, High Elves were not Night Elves; they had no qualms about burning forests.
Moreover, His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the Prince had already set an example, so she naturally followed suit.
The accompanying mages immediately split into two teams.
One team cast Flame Strike, igniting the dense forest, using the most primitive and effective method to eliminate the poisonous miasma, burn down the dense forest, and directly burn a marching path to Shadra'alor.
The other team cast Blizzards on both sides, on one hand attacking the Horde hiding within, and on the other hand to prevent the fire from spreading—
Just as Kurdran and Falstad had guessed, the High Elves intended to reside here long-term.
If a forest fire truly erupted and burned down all the forests in the entire Hinterlands, like a forty-year-old programmer's forehead, how could they live there?
And those responsible for cover, besides the High Elf Rangers, were the thick-skinned Wildhammer warriors.
They were numerous, well-equipped, and tightly defended, ensuring that no attack would fall upon the High Elf mages.
Mages were mages; the power of magic was simply stronger than physical force.
Especially Fire Mages, they were simply great weapons on the battlefield; anyone who used them knew their power.
After enduring a wave of ice and fire, the Darktroll Tribe's high-ranking members, who had originally held some confidence in victory, finally fell into complete despair.
The most terrifying thing was:
The Orcs, Ogres, and Witherbark Tribe, who had promised to fight alongside them, actually retreated at this critical moment!
"Orcs are unreliable, Trolls are unreliable, and the Witherbark Tribe is even more unreliable."
"The only one we can rely on now is the great Poison Spider Queen Shadra!"
"Blood sacrifice, let the tribesmen voluntarily offer blood sacrifices to speed up the summoning of Shadra!"
"What, they don't want to sacrifice blood? Then help them volunteer!"
In Shadra'alor, over a thousand Darktroll Tribe civilians were escorted under arms to the altar, actively or passively plunging daggers into their hearts.
Blood gushed out, staining the moss-covered altar red.
A dozen priests knelt in a circle, holding voodoo staves, chanting spells with fanatical expressions.
Under the influence of their spells, the blood spread towards the giant spider outline in the center, turning the pale green phantom blood-red.
A cold, bloody aura spread in all directions.
As more and more blood flowed, the outline of the giant spider became clearer, gradually solidifying from a phantom into a physical entity.
The surrounding Troll priests were overjoyed.
The great Spider God, the Poison Spider Queen, Weaver of Fate, Beloved of Death, Silk Dancer Shadra, worshipped for tens of thousands of years by the Darktroll Tribe, Witherbark Tribe, Darkspear Tribe, Gurubashi Tribe, and Zandalar Tribe, had finally answered their call and arrived in the real world!
"Your Majesty, your territory is being invaded by outsiders, your people are being slaughtered by invaders, and the number of your followers is rapidly dwindling!"
"We implore you to unleash the natural power from the Emerald Dream, inject deadly toxins into every enemy, weave a giant net to harvest their fates, and capture all invaders..."
"Enemy attack!"
A high-pitched, piercing scream interrupted the Darktroll Chieftain's devout plea.
Immediately after, he heard earth-shattering horn blasts, unified roars, and continuous thunder.
"Wildhammer, attack!"
The Darktroll Chieftain's face changed dramatically.
He quickly looked up and saw hundreds of Stormhammers, imbued with the power of storms and lightning, flying towards them with immense force, like a localized, high-intensity meteor shower.
What made him even more terrified was:
All the Stormhammers were targeting the same thing: the Poison Spider Queen who had just arrived in the real world!
"No!"
Amidst a shrill scream, the summoned Shadra was still in a daze, completely unaware of what was happening, still listening to her followers' prayers, when her massive body was struck by hundreds of Stormhammers.
Boom boom boom!
Each warhammer weighed tens to hundreds of kilograms, and their metal heads were not much smaller than a Troll's head; the impact force of their high-speed descent was unimaginable.
Any single one hitting could smash the head of an adult elephant, let alone hundreds.
And the dazed Shadra had no time to dodge!
Crack~~
A teeth-grinding sound echoed; it was the carapace and bones of an arthropod shattering.
In an instant, the Spider God, who had just arrived in the real world, was smashed to pieces by a wave of attacks from the Gryphon Riders, then struck and roasted by dense lightning, and the aroma of charcoal-grilled spider legs wafted through the air.
"So this is what the loa gods are like?"
"Doesn't look too hard to deal with!"
The Stormhammers flew back into the Gryphon Riders' hands, still crackling with lightning, making their owners look as mighty as thunder gods—like hundreds of youthful Thor figures riding Gryphons.
Kurdran was lifted slightly from his saddle by the Stormhammer's impact, then dropped heavily onto his Gryphon, Skarri. Smelling the aroma wafting over, his appetite was immediately piqued, and his throat involuntarily swallowed: "Smells delicious!"
He stared at the charred "god" below, his eyes gleaming, and drool uncontrollably trickled down his chin.
It made me hungry just looking at it!
How wonderful would the taste of a god's flesh be? I really want to try it!
"Highlord, mighty!"
Kael'thas, standing by, gave a thumbs-up, generously providing emotional support, while inwardly complaining.
The loa gods weren't like the Titans or the Ancient Gods, with their colossal bodies and true dominance over all living beings.
To put it nicely, they were gods worshipped by Trolls for tens of thousands of years; to put it bluntly, they were just animal spirits that had lived for tens of thousands of years.
Their only difference from ordinary animals was that they were older, larger, and stronger.
A full-force attack from hundreds of 4-population units, ambushing a tens-of-thousands-year-old elder who didn't even dodge—no demigod could withstand that, not even the Wild Gods.
Unless it was an old turtle demigod like Tortolla, known for his defensive prowess.
"You can't eat that thing, it's poisonous! Shadra's venom is incurable!" Vereesa warned.
During the Troll Wars 2,800 years ago, the Forest Trolls, led by the Amani, summoned many loa, including only Shadra, the Spider Goddess.
Any creature bitten by her, whether High Elf or human, Dragonhawk or warhorse, would die instantly.
A demigod-level toxin was that terrifying.
"I know, I know, I was just thinking about it, I haven't actually eaten it yet!"
Kurdran quickly wiped his drool and asked curiously, "Is the Darktroll Tribe planning to fight us with this thing? She's not that strong, far inferior to Ragnaros, the Firelord!"
He had never actually seen Ragnaros, only heard about him from his elders, knowing that the War of the Three Hammers ended because the Dark Iron Dwarves summoned Ragnaros.
The topography of the Burning Steppes, Searing Gorge, Redridge Mountains, and Badlands also changed due to Ragnaros's appearance.
What is a demigod? This is a demigod!
Compared to Ragnaros, Shadra, the Spider Goddess, was not on the same level at all; she'd barely make a pet for him.
"Ragnaros is a Fire Elemental Lord, on the same level as the Titan Guardians Freya. All the loa gods were cultivated by Freya as pets. How did you even think of comparing them?"
Kael'thas was speechless: "Besides, although the Darktroll Tribe used the power of blood sacrifice to summon Shadra into the real world, it was actually just an avatar. The true Spider Goddess is still in the Emerald Dream."
Kurdran's old face flushed: "We Dwarves aren't Elves; we don't have as much ancient knowledge passed down as you do."
He had indeed heard of the Titan Guardians Freya, but he truly didn't know what level of being she was.
After the Dwarves left Uldaman, their ancient knowledge lineage was severely broken. How could he know so much?
He heard that the Bronzebeard Dwarves in the south are now very fond of exploring ancient ruins, tracing the origin of Dwarves, and developing science and technology through archaeology, so perhaps they know something about ancient secrets.
The Hammerfell Dwarves were different; they were primarily magic-focused now and uninterested in technological matters.
"Hammer! Fell! Dwarves!"
A roar erupted, filled with boundless fury and despair.
At the Shadra'alor altar, the Darktroll Chieftain was on the verge of tears, feeling as if the sky had fallen.
It was so difficult to summon the great god, only for her to be smashed to pieces as soon as she appeared, and then roasted by lightning… Smells delicious!
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey, what am I thinking? This is blasphemy against a god!"
The Darktroll Chieftain picked up his hex staff and aimed it at the dense swarm of Gryphon Riders in the sky: "Shoot them down!"
A dozen priests immediately cast spells.
Hundreds of headhunters followed suit, taking a running start and extending their arms to hurl spears at the sky.
The sharp spears arced gracefully through the sky before falling, and the priests' spells nearby did the same.
The Gryphon Riders were too high, circling dozens of meters in the air, far beyond their attack range.
No matter how strong or muscular the Troll headhunters were, it was impossible for them to throw such long, heavy spears dozens of meters high; gravity was not to be trifled with.
Whoever controls the air controls the initiative in war.
Whose fault is it that you have no air force?
"Heh heh, can't hit us!"
Kurdran laughed heartily and blew the horn of attack again.
At the same time, Kael'thas launched a Flame Strike, signaling the start of a full-scale assault.
An hour later, all dozen Troll priests, including the Darktroll Chieftain, were killed, not one remaining.
Of the thousands of Darktroll Trolls entrenched in Zun'Salo, a small portion were repeatedly bombed by Gryphon Riders and Dragonhawk Riders, turning into piles of corpses, while the majority fled into the dense forest.
"Your Highness, should we continue the pursuit?"
Vereesa was extremely excited.
During the battle, she had shot and killed twenty-seven Trolls, including the Darktroll Chieftain, a number even greater than Kurdran's.
She admitted that in a one-on-one duel, she would likely not be a match for Kurdran.
Her petite frame certainly couldn't withstand the powerful, remotely controllable Stormhammer of a legendary Gryphon Rider.
But there was only one Stormhammer, and it took time to throw and retrieve, so its efficiency was definitely not as good as an Elven Ranger's arrows.
"The Darktroll Tribe worships the Spider Queen, and the surrounding dense forest is full of venomous spiders. Fighting in the forest would be disadvantageous to us."
Kael'thas said, "Moreover, our goal is not to slaughter Trolls, but to raid their settlements. We should head to Zun'Salo as quickly as possible now; I'm worried something might happen there."
Vereesa's expression subtly changed: "Your Highness, are you worried that the Witherbark Tribe, like the Darktroll Tribe, will use blood sacrifice to summon a loa?"
Kael'thas nodded: "The loa worshipped by the Witherbark Tribe is Hakkar the Soulflayer, the Blood God. He is known as the 'Soulflayer' and his favorite method is blood sacrifice."
Most loa gods can be summoned with specific rituals, but Hakkar the Blood God is an exception; he only requires blood sacrifice.
The Darktroll Tribe likely used blood sacrifice to summon the Spider Goddess in order to summon a more powerful avatar.
And the Witherbark Tribe, facing pressure from the High Elf and Hammerfell dwarf allied forces, will almost certainly summon Hakkar the Blood God at all costs!
Kurdran's expression was solemn: "I heard that Hakkar the Blood God is stronger than the Spider Goddess. Is it because of Hakkar the Blood God that the Witherbark Tribe became the second-largest tribe among the Forest Trolls, second only to the Amani, and even established a Troll empire in ancient times?"
Kael'thas said: "That's right, Hakkar is very likely the most powerful of the loa gods, on par with the Wild Gods. If he truly descends into this world, even if it's just an avatar, we will face a fierce battle."
The Darktroll Tribe was nothing, Shadra'alor was nothing, and the Spider Goddess was nothing.
The reason he brought hundreds of Dragonhawk Riders and hundreds of Gryphon Riders was to deal with the Witherbark Tribe, to deal with Zun'Salo, and to deal with Hakkar the Blood God.
The main force continued flying east, reaching Zun'Salo after nightfall.
Kael'thas used Flame Strike to ignite trees and wooden structures, the roaring flames turning night into day.
This was a high-intensity battle.
Dragonhawk Riders and Gryphon Riders were certainly powerful enough, and with the element of surprise, they held the advantage, but their numbers were limited.
Zun'Salo was the Witherbark Tribe's stronghold, home to tens of thousands of Trolls, mostly elites, including dozens of witch doctors serving as priests and two to three hundred Headhunters.
They launched a counterattack immediately.
Even with Kael'thas personally intervening and summoning a Phoenix, and despite Vereesa and Kurdran's skillful command, they still paid the price of over twenty Dragonhawks and Gryphons to eliminate just under half of the resistance, with the rest fleeing into the dense forest.
Fortunately, their mounts below blocked spells and spears, and those who fell were caught by their companions, resulting in almost no casualties among the riders.
"Your Highness, something is amiss."
Vereesa had participated in many battles recently, and her basic ranger skills were developing. She immediately noticed something was wrong: "Zun'Salo's defenses are far weaker than expected. The number of witch doctors and Headhunters is less than half."
Kurdran also chimed in, "That's right! I didn't see the evil priest Hex, and the other highest-ranking priests aren't here either. They must be up to no good!"
Vereesa added, "The Orcs and Ogres aren't here either, not even any Dragon Riders. This isn't normal."
Zun'Salo was the largest gathering place for the Forest Trolls in the Hinterlands. Logically, since the Forest Trolls had joined the Horde, there shouldn't be an absence of Orcs here, otherwise how would they communicate?
Moreover, Orgrim couldn't trust the Forest Trolls unconditionally; at the very least, he should have left an Orc Overseer.
Not only were there none here, but there were none in Shadra'alor either.
The Dragon Riders, their strongest combat force, were also absent.
Could those hundred Dragon Riders from yesterday have run away?
"Most importantly, there's no summoning of the Blood God Hakkar here, which shouldn't be the case."
Kael'thas looked eastward, in the direction of Akkalar: "If I were Hex, facing an unstoppable enemy, I would summon the Blood God Hakkar at all costs. This requires the sacrifice of many intelligent beings, and the closest tribe with the worst relationship with the Witherbark Tribe is Akkalar."
Vereesa exclaimed, "Your Highness means the Witherbark Tribe plans to blood sacrifice their own kind? This, this is too, too…"
She couldn't possibly imagine such a thing happening.
Even the Amani Tribe of Zul'Aman wouldn't do something like that.
Kurdran snorted dismissively, "What's so surprising? Trolls are capable of anything!"
He had absolutely no fondness for Trolls.
In the three hundred years he could remember, no fewer than a thousand of his kin had died at the hands of Trolls.
The hatred between the Hammerfell Dwarves and Trolls was no less than that of the High Elf.
Kael'thas said, "Even among Trolls, Hakkar is the most unpopular. Most Trolls do not worship Hakkar and oppose large-scale blood sacrifices. In the past hundreds or thousands of years, Hakkar's two summonings were both driven out."
Of course, what they opposed was large-scale blood sacrifice.
If it was only small-scale, such as sacrificing a few or dozens of beings periodically, Trolls could still accept it.
Kurdran was somewhat uneasy: "There are tens of thousands of people in Akkalar. If all of them are used to sacrifice to Hakkar, will the true Hakkar be summoned?"
Although he had eliminated the Spider loa, and disparaged it greatly, he was actually quite wary of it. The loa gods were truly powerful.
If the true Hakkar were summoned, could they really defeat it? He wasn't confident enough.
Kael'thas reassured him, "That won't happen. For some reason, only at the Zulgurub altar in Zul'Gurub can the true Hakkar be summoned. Perhaps the world barrier there is thinner, or perhaps it's because Hakkar was first physically summoned and banished in Zul'Gurub?"
He could only guess.
The true reason, perhaps only the High Priests of Zul'Gurub knew.
Kurdran breathed a sigh of relief, his expression still solemn: "A blood sacrifice of ten thousand people, even if it only summons an avatar, it will certainly be many times stronger than Shadra. We must be careful."
Time was pressing, so they didn't linger, flying towards Akkalar through the night.
They had just flown over the continuous mountain range when they smelled a heavy scent of blood, coming from Akkalar nearby.
Immediately after, a powerful, evil will enveloped an area of tens of kilometers, and everyone felt a bloodthirsty urge. Their Dragonhawks and Gryphons became restless, as if they had encountered an incredibly terrifying natural predator.
At this time, dawn was breaking, and the sun rose from afar, casting golden sunlight on the dense forest and beach, but it quickly disappeared.
Kael'thas looked up and saw the sky filled with dense clouds, stained crimson by a mysterious power, giving a sense of impending doom.
Under the blood-red sky, a fifty-meter-long Wind Serpent flew up from the center of Akkalar, spreading its red and blue wings. A pair of blood-red vertical pupils suddenly fixed on Kael'thas, staring at him from over a thousand meters away.
An evil, mad, and chilling will, like a heavy hammer, struck Kael'thas's mind, attempting to control him and drive him into madness.
"Blood God Hakkar!"
Kael'thas grunted, breaking free from the Blood God's will. He felt dizzy and mentally drained, as if he had just endured several hours of intense battle and been completely squeezed dry.
Then he heard several more grunts, coming from Kurdran, Vereesa, Liadrin, and Lanathel beside him.
These individuals had also suffered the mental assault of the Blood God Hakkar—
Even as strong as the loa, unless their true form appeared, they couldn't directly overwhelm Legendaries and Grand Professionists on a mental level.
"Not good!"
Kael'thas's expression changed slightly. He suddenly turned around, looking at the Dragonhawk Rider and Gryphon Rider, his gaze sweeping over them, finally landing on one of the Gryphon Riders: "Be careful!"
That Gryphon Rider's eyes were bloodshot, reflecting the image of the Blood God Hakkar, revealing a look of madness. He suddenly threw his Stormhammer, aiming for Liadrin, who had the weakest defenses among them.
Liadrin had experienced many battles recently and remained calm in the face of danger. She raised her hand and cast a 'Word of Power: Shield' on herself, followed by a beam of Holy Light landing on the Gryphon Rider.
Smite!
The Stormhammer whistled through the air, and a graceful figure, like a mountain, blocked Liadrin, raising the amani empire bulwark.
With a bang, the Stormhammer flew back, landing in the Gryphon Rider's hand.
His body and mind were purified by the Holy Light, the image of Hakkar in his eyes vanished, and a confused expression appeared on his face: "What happened?"
Kurdran's face was horrified: "You were controlled, it can control our souls! Everyone retreat!"
He could barely resist Hakkar's soul control, but his Gryphon Riders could not.
Lanathel moved her shield, revealing her enchanting, captivating face that could bring ruin to a nation, and said in a deep voice, "Dragonhawk Riders, listen to my command, retreat a thousand meters away, and raise your vigilance! Form into pairs, and constantly monitor each other's status!"
Kael'thas said, "Soulflayer, it preys on souls."
Since his transmigration, this was the first time he had felt such trepidation.
He gazed a thousand meters away at Akkalar, seeing dozens of Troll priests kneeling in a circle, and within the circle, a mountain of Akkalar Troll corpses, roughly estimated to be over a thousand.
He looked down at the ground, seeing thousands of Orcs, Ogres, and Troll Headhunters rushing in groups, hunting down the Akkalar Trolls fleeing for their lives. He knew he hadn't arrived too late.
If they had waited two or three more days, by the time the entire Akkalar tribe had been sacrificed, the summoned Hakkar, even if not its true form, would likely be very close.
Now, with only one or two thousand people sacrificed, Hakkar's power was less than one-fifth of its true form. For them, it wasn't beyond their capabilities.
"High Elf and Hammerfell Dwarves are here!"
Near the makeshift altar, the Orc Overseer said in a deep voice, "Hex, quickly make Hakkar kill those damned invaders!"
"Silence! How dare you utter the true name of a god?"
"Furthermore, no one can command a god, only pray!"
On the altar, the evil Hex knelt prostrate, arms outstretched towards Hakkar, his posture devout and fanatical:
"Great Soulflayer, outsiders have invaded your domain. Please, unleash your divine wrath! Please, grant us your power!"
In the sky, the Blood God Hakkar looked down, his gaze falling upon the Orc Overseer.
The veteran, whose mental will was incredibly strong, immediately felt his will blur, his legs weaken, and an urge to kneel.
Fortunately, a strange and powerful force surged from his blood, helping him resist Hakkar's will and preventing him from being controlled.
His expression changed drastically. He gripped his battle-axe tightly, his orcish eyes fixed on Hakkar, an infinite terror welling up in his heart, just like when he drank Mannoroth's blood and saw the Pit Lord that year.
The same evil, the same power, the same madness-inducing presence.
"Fel energy, demon blood, Burning Legion..."
Hakkar's voice was cold and deep, tinged with a faint dread—not of the demon blood's owner, but of the Burning Legion itself.
Ten thousand years ago, during the Burning Legion's first invasion, endless demons swept across the entire world, and countless loa were piled high and killed by them.
At that time, he hid outside the real world, watching everything from beyond the world barrier, trembling with fear.
The fear from ten thousand years ago had persisted until now.
He shifted his gaze to Hex: "As you wish!"
He flapped his wings, and blood rained down from the sky—Hakkar's blood.
Drops of Hakkar's blood fell on the Witherbark Trolls, seeping into their skin, merging with their blood, becoming one with them.
Their aura immediately surged, their minds dominated by darkness, bloodlust, and rage, entering a berserk state.
Their strength, speed, and endurance all significantly increased, just like the orcs who drank Mannoroth's blood.
"Kill them, sacrifice them to me, and you shall gain even greater power!"
Hakkar's voice resonated once more.
"Great God, your people obey your will!"
Hex rose, feeling his body brimming with power.
Hakkar's blood boiled within him. He had never felt so strong, almost on the verge of surpassing mortal limits and stepping into the legendary realm, standing shoulder to shoulder with Zul'jin and Malacrass.
Without hesitation, he immediately led his subordinates to charge towards the High Elf and Hammerfell dwarf allied forces.
However, the enemy's position was too high; they couldn't reach them at all!
In the distant sky, Kurdran was both shocked and enraged, shouting, "Kael'thas, let's all go together and attack Hakkar directly! If we could kill Shadra, we can kill him too!"
Although Hakkar could manipulate Gryphon Riders and Dragonhawk Riders, he had only controlled one just now, indicating that Hakkar's mind control ability was limited.
With nearly a thousand aerial units swarming him, controlling one or two wouldn't matter. Kurdran didn't believe they couldn't take down Hakkar!
"No, Shadra couldn't fly, but Hakkar can. What's more, a demigod's speed must be very fast, making him difficult to hit."
Kael'thas flatly rejected: "And Hakkar has more than just this one ability. He can drain the blood of everyone nearby and also cast Corrupted Blood, which can spread like a plague and is extremely dangerous."
Hakkar was known as the "Blood God" and "Soulflayer," these two titles corresponding to different abilities.
Soulflayer represented mental abilities.
Hakkar could mentally control beings with insufficient willpower and could also launch direct mental attacks, driving enemies into madness.
Blood God, on the other hand, represented blood-related abilities.
He could absorb the blood of all living beings within a certain range to restore his own vitality.
And his own blood could not only send his followers into a berserk state but also infect living beings with a blood-borne plague, causing their blood to rapidly decay throughout their bodies.
In the game, a hunter once brought Corrupted Blood to Stormwind, and other infected players then carried it to other places, leading to countless corpses in Stormwind, Ironforge, Goldshire, and other locations.
Even Darnassus, far away in Kalimdor, was no exception; almost the entire Alliance was wiped out.
The lethality of this thing was even more terrifying than Shandris Feathermoon's Moon Goddess Orbital Cannon.
Against Hakkar, there was simply no way to use a human wave tactic; the more people, the harder it was to fight.
"If it were just Hakkar himself, we could endure the life drain and Corrupted Blood, pay a certain price, and still kill him. After all, he hasn't truly arrived in this world yet, so he can't be a match for so many of us."
Kael'thas said: "The problem is, once we get close to Hakkar, the nearby Witherbark Trolls will definitely provide support. If we're too far, we can't hurt Hakkar, but if we're too close, we'll be harmed by the trolls' spears and spells. Don't forget they also have Dragon Riders."
"Then what should we do?" Kurdran was dumbfounded.
Kael'thas said: "Actually, we don't need to consider how to deal with Hakkar for now. He is a god, a true loa, not an avatar with a fraction of divine power like those in Zul'Aman. He won't actively attack us mortals. What we need to deal with right now are those orcs, Ogres, and trolls."
Kurdran nodded: "That makes sense. How exactly should we fight?"
"Guerrilla warfare."
Kael'thas said: "We are all aerial units, possessing air superiority and a speed advantage. As long as we don't get within a thousand meters of Hakkar, outside his attack range, we can freely hunt the Horde. Once those Horde are eliminated, there will be plenty of ways to deal with Hakkar."
Kurdran asked: "But what if Hakkar and the Horde attack us together?"
Kael'thas said: "If they attack, we retreat. If they retreat, we attack. If they stop, we harass them. Once their energy is depleted, we will launch a full-scale assault and kill them."
Kurdran's eyes lit up: "Brilliant!"
He blew his war horn once more: "Hammerfell Dwarves, charge with me!"
He led the way, with hundreds of Gryphon Riders following closely, launching an attack on the distant Horde, followed by the Dragonhawk Riders.
They maintained a distance from Hakkar, using their speed advantage to catch up with the Horde who were chasing the scattered Akkalar Trolls, concentrating their superior forces to eliminate small groups of enemies, then quickly moving on to the next location.
Although the Horde had a numerical advantage, because they were hunting the already dispersed Akkalar Trolls, they were also very spread out. Each location had only a few to dozens of soldiers, far fewer than the Elf and dwarf allied forces.
In just over ten minutes, nearly a thousand Horde had died under arrows and Stormhammers!
"Gather, everyone gather!"
"Everyone concentrate!"
The Orc Overseer and the Troll Priest shouted frantically.
Horde forces from various locations rushed back, suffering further attacks from the allied forces during the process.
By the time all forces had converged at Akkalar, another thousand had been lost.
The Orc Overseer's face was grim.
He hadn't brought many troops to begin with, just one clan, and even with the Witherbark Tribe, they numbered less than five thousand. In less than an hour, nearly half were lost.
How could they possibly fight like this?
"This can't go on!"
He swung his battle-axe forcefully, roaring at Hex: "If Ha... if the great Soulflayer doesn't act soon, we'll all die here!"
The situation was dire.
Those Dragonhawk Riders and Gryphon Riders were too cunning; they simply wouldn't engage them head-on.
As soon as they saw the Horde gathering, they would abandon their attack and fly to a distant place to rest.
And the Horde didn't dare to leave Akkalar, otherwise they would surely be attacked.
The Akkalar Trolls they had captured earlier had already perished in the attacks by the Elves and Dwarves, and none were brought back.
The other Akkalar Trolls had seized the opportunity to flee deeper into the dense forest.
The longer this went on, the further they would escape. How could they perform a blood sacrifice to Hakkar then?
"You have a point."
Hex knew the situation was urgent and quickly prayed to Hakkar, "Great Soulflayer, your people need your help. Please act personally and unleash divine punishment!"
With blood-red vertical pupils staring at Hex, Hakkar's voice rang out, "Incompetent mortal!"
He flapped his wings and flew towards the allied forces.
Hex and the Orc Overseer were overjoyed and quickly led their army to follow.
Then they saw the allied forces take flight again, this time flying directly onto the steep mountain peaks.
"The mountain is too steep. Although we can climb up, we will definitely be attacked during the climb, and the great Soulflayer won't be able to protect us!"
Hex looked up at the mountain, feeling a sense of powerlessness.
The aerial advantage of the High Elf and Wildhammer was too strong!
Why did the Trolls of the Hinterlands, despite outnumbering the Wildhammer Dwarves, suffer repeated defeats and lose nearly half their territory to the Wildhammer Dwarves? It was because the Wildhammer Dwarves had Gryphon Riders!
He had sent people to Aerie Peak more than once to steal Gryphon eggs, hoping to hatch Gryphons and train Troll Gryphon Riders, but all had failed.
Without sufficient aerial power, they could only passively take a beating and couldn't deal with the High Elf and Wildhammer at all.
"Leave here and enter the dense forest; the air force has no advantage in the dense forest!" the Orc Overseer suddenly shouted.
Hex immediately refused, "No! Kael'thas has phoenixes, which are faster than us. He is a legendary fire mage and can set the dense forest ablaze at any time. If we go in, it's suicide!"
He certainly didn't want the Witherbark Tribe to repeat the mistakes of the Amani Tribe.
"What should we do then?" The Orc Overseer was extremely agitated.
"There's only one way." Hakkar's sinister voice echoed directly in Hex's mind. His gaze was eerie, and he secretly made a gesture.
"What way?"
"Naturally… to sacrifice you with blood!"
Only by making Hakkar stronger could they deal with those hateful High Elf and Wildhammer.
For our common goal, a small sacrifice from you Orc is not too much, is it?
It is your honor to merge with a loa!
"Attack!"
As soon as Hex finished speaking, ten Troll Headhunters attacked simultaneously, throwing ten spears at him.
"You…"
The Orc Overseer was both surprised and enraged, quickly swinging his battle axe to cut down two spears in front of him, but was impaled like a hedgehog by several others.
All Witherbark Trolls attacked simultaneously, striking nearby Orc and Ogre.
At the same time, Hakkar opened his maw and sucked fiercely. A large amount of blood gushed out from the bodies of the Orc and Ogre, absorbed by Hakkar, along with many souls.
Hakkar's aura rapidly surged!
The Orc and Ogre, who had part of their blood drained, either resisted or fled, and the entire Akkalar was in chaos.
On the mountain peak, Kael'thas made a decisive move, "Now! Attack!"
They couldn't let Hakkar continue to absorb the blood and souls of the Orc and Ogre, otherwise He would grow stronger and stronger, eventually becoming too powerful to contend with.
Now that the Horde was in-fighting, it was the best time to attack.
As for how many would be killed by the Horde and Hakkar, that was not within his consideration.
A compassionate commander cannot lead an army.
As long as there is war, there will be casualties; this is unavoidable.
He didn't want casualty numbers; he only wanted Hakkar!
Kurdran and Vereesa immediately led the Gryphon Riders and Dragonhawk Riders to fly above Akkalar and attack Hakkar, ignoring the Witherbark Trolls, Orc, and Ogre who were fighting each other.
"Retreat!"
Except for a few who were killed or lost their heads, most of the Orc, Ogre, and Dragon Rider fled into the distance together.
Just a small group of Orc; whether they escaped or not was irrelevant. Kael'thas's eyes were only on Hakkar.
He rode a phoenix towards Hakkar, completing his spell midway. A head-sized Flamestrike fireball struck Hakkar's chest, and the violent explosion made its massive body tremble.
The blood-red chest skin was blown open, and a large amount of Hakkar's blood and shredded flesh splattered.
Even a powerful loa could not withstand the full force of a legendary mage's attack. This spell reduced at least a tenth of His health bar.
With a boom, the Phoenix God and the Blood God collided head-on, stopping Hakkar's attempt to fly away and avoid the attack.
Seizing this opportunity, the allied forces launched an attack.
Hundreds of Stormhammers and hundreds of arrows landed on Hakkar.
The combined force of tens of thousands of kilograms of Stormhammers, traveling at high speed, delivered hundreds of thousands of pounds of impact, leaving the hundreds of tons heavy Hakkar covered in wounds, which were scorched by lightning.
Specially made Mithril arrows pierced into the wounds, causing secondary damage and thoroughly enraging this loa.
He hissed, flicking his tongue, indiscriminately siphoning the blood of all nearby living beings, including the Witherbark Trolls who worshipped Him, attempting to restore His vitality this way.
"Wildhammer, attack!"
"High Elf, shoot!"
At these two commands, the Gryphon Riders and Dragonhawk Riders, enduring the dizziness and fatigue from blood loss, launched a second wave of attacks, interrupting Hakkar's spellcasting.
In the sky, another Flamestrike fireball struck Hakkar, followed closely by the Phoenix God's talons and beak.
Sizzle!
Talons deeply pierced the snake's head, and the beak fiercely gouged out Hakkar's left eye.
For beings with extremely high magic resistance like loa, physical attacks are often more effective than magic.
The heavily wounded Hakkar fought back fiercely, his sharp fangs biting through the Phoenix's neck. Drops of Phoenix blood fell to the ground, turning into Phoenix fire, igniting Hakkar's followers.
Then, He was attacked by the allied forces again!
Each wave of attack could kill Shadra, who was also a loa, yet three waves of attacks combined only severely wounded Hakkar, fully demonstrating the power of a top-tier loa.
He was no longer able to fly, falling from a high altitude, killing a dozen Witherbark Trolls, and was on the verge of death, His health bar zeroed out by a Flamestrike fireball.
"High Elf, Wildhammer, I will return!"
A mournful voice filled with endless malice echoed in the minds of everyone, including Kael'thas.
"I'll be waiting!"
Kael'thas's face was pale, as if he had been gravely ill. He forced himself to continue casting spells, attacking the Witherbark Trolls on the ground.
"The great loa… has fallen?"
All the Witherbark Trolls stared blankly at Hakkar's corpse, unable to believe their eyes.
Hakkar was their faith, their hope, their spiritual pillar for thousands of years.
But now, Hakkar had been killed, and the ones who did it were not the Troll loa allied forces led by the Zandalari Tribe, nor the Green Dragonflight led by Ysera, but a group of High Elf and Wildhammer Dwarves.
The bloody truth lay before them, causing their faith to crumble. Hakkar was stripped of His mysterious aura in their hearts, losing His divine majesty.
It turned out that loa could be killed by mortals!
In their extreme shock, they even forgot that this was a battlefield, only remembering to flee when arrows and battle axes rained down on them.
Not to counterattack, but to flee.
The fall of a loa had shattered their courage.
This was a one-sided slaughter, but it did not last long.
Because there were not many Trolls left alive, and because everyone had part of their blood drained by Hakkar, they quickly became exhausted and unable to fight further.
"The Horde's Dragon Rider could return at any time. We can't stay here. Let's go."
After a short rest, the allied forces flew back to the Wildhammer Dwarves' territory along the Southern Mountains.